Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Mix By Ear ("we," "us," "our," or "the Service") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our audio comparison service. By accessing or using the Service, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

2. Information We Collect

Account Information

When you register for an account, we collect:

• Email Address: Used for account identification, authentication, and communication
• Password: Stored in encrypted (hashed) form; we never store or have access to your plain-text password
• Account Metadata: Creation date, last login, and account status

User Content

• Audio Files: Files you upload for comparison purposes
• Project Information: Project names, descriptions, and settings you configure
• Feedback Data: Comments, ratings, and rankings submitted by you or listeners on your projects

Information Collected Automatically

• Session Data: Session identifiers for maintaining authentication and listening state
• Usage Data: Playback behavior and interactions for service operation and analytics
• Technical Data: IP address, browser type, device type, operating system, and referring URLs
• Log Data: Server logs that may include access times, pages viewed, and error information

Cookies and Local Storage

We use cookies and browser storage technologies for:

• Authentication: Session cookies to maintain your logged-in state
• Preferences: Local storage for theme preference (light/dark mode)
• Session Identification: Anonymous identifiers to associate feedback with listening sessions
• Security: Tokens to prevent cross-site request forgery

You can configure your browser to refuse cookies, but this may prevent you from using certain features of the Service.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use collected information to:

• Provide, operate, and maintain the Service
• Authenticate users and manage accounts
• Process and display feedback to project administrators
• Communicate with you about your account or the Service
• Monitor and analyze usage patterns to improve the Service
• Detect, prevent, and address technical issues, fraud, and security incidents
• Comply with legal obligations

4. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell your personal information. We may share information in the following circumstances:

• With Project Administrators: Feedback you submit on projects is visible to project owners
• Service Providers: Third parties who assist in operating the Service (hosting, infrastructure), bound by confidentiality obligations
• Legal Requirements: When required by law, subpoena, court order, or government request
• Rights Protection: To protect our rights, property, safety, or the rights of others
• Business Transfers: In connection with any merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred

5. Data Storage and Security

We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical security measures to protect your information, including:

• HTTPS encryption for all data in transit
• Encrypted password storage using industry-standard hashing
• Secure session management with automatic expiration
• Rate limiting to prevent abuse
• Access controls limiting who can view data

No Security Guarantee: Despite our efforts, no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your information. You acknowledge that you provide information at your own risk.

6. Data Retention

• Account Data: Retained while your account is active; deleted upon account deletion request
• Audio Files: Stored until the project is deleted by the administrator
• Feedback Data: Stored until the associated project is deleted
• Session Data: Automatically expires after periods of inactivity
• Log Data: Retained for security and operational purposes, then periodically purged

We reserve the right to delete inactive accounts, projects, and associated data at our sole discretion after extended periods of inactivity. We strongly recommend maintaining local backups of your audio files.

7. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: Request information about data we hold about you
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information
• Data Portability: Request a copy of your data in a portable format
• Opt-Out: Opt out of certain data uses where applicable

To exercise these rights, please contact us. We will respond to requests in accordance with applicable law. Note that deleting certain information may affect your ability to use the Service.

Account Deletion: You can delete your account and associated projects through the dashboard settings, or by contacting us.

8. Third-Party Service Providers

We use the following third-party services to operate Mix By Ear. These providers may process your data as described below:

Payment Processing

Stripe (Privacy Policy): We use Stripe to process payments and manage subscriptions. When you subscribe to a paid plan, Stripe collects and processes your payment information (credit card details, billing address). We do not store your full credit card number on our servers. Stripe may use your data as described in their privacy policy.

Cloud Storage

Cloudflare R2 (Privacy Policy): Your uploaded audio files are stored on Cloudflare R2 cloud storage. Cloudflare may collect technical information about file access as described in their privacy policy.

Email Communications

Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) (Privacy Policy): We use Brevo to send transactional emails (account verification, password reset, subscription notifications). Brevo processes your email address and email interaction data (opens, clicks) to deliver and analyze email communications.

Error Monitoring and Analytics

Sentry (Privacy Policy): We use Sentry for error tracking and performance monitoring. Sentry collects:

• Error reports including stack traces and browser information
• Performance metrics (page load times, API response times)
• Session replay data for a sample of sessions to help diagnose issues

Session replay may capture visual representations of your interactions with the Service, including project names and text you enter. We filter sensitive data (passwords, payment information) before it reaches Sentry. You cannot opt out of error tracking while using the Service, as it is essential for maintaining service quality.

We encourage you to review the privacy policies of these third-party services. We are not responsible for their privacy practices.

9. Children's Privacy

The Service is not intended for individuals under the age of 13 (or the applicable age of digital consent in your jurisdiction). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have collected information from a child, please contact us immediately.

10. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence. These countries may have different data protection laws. By using the Service, you consent to the transfer of your information to such countries.

11. California Privacy Rights

California residents may have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), including the right to know what personal information is collected, request deletion, and opt out of the sale of personal information. As stated above, we do not sell personal information.

12. European Privacy Rights

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, or Switzerland, you may have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or equivalent laws, including rights to access, rectification, erasure, restriction, and data portability. Our legal basis for processing includes consent, contract performance, and legitimate interests.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will post the updated policy on this page with a revised "Last updated" date. Your continued use of the Service after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

14. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your data rights, or have concerns about our privacy practices, please contact us.